All good baseball or softball hitters have a plan of what they're trying to do before they come to bat. Hit the ball hard, get on base, drive a run in, or move a runner over. When giving baseball and softball lessons I tell my players, to be successful, you must have a hitting plan. As in Life, you need to have a plan of what you are trying to accomplish in this moment. In baseball, it's this at bat, right now, before you come up to the plate. You have to know who’s pitching, what is their best pitch, what's the game situation, and what are you trying to do in this at bat. Have a plan before you step into the batter’s box. You have no time during the at bat to figure this out, much less what to do mechanically. There is no time to think, "hit the ball hard" “keep my head down, shoulder closed, weight back, let the ball get deep in the zone, ” - no time. There are only 8 decisions to make in 1/3 of a second. Is this pitch fast or slow, inside or outside, up or down, do I swing or not… that’s it. Fast/slow, Up/down, in/out, go/no go. At the professional level these decisions have to be relayed to the brain in less than 1/3 of a second, and another 1/3 to react. Read that again !…That’s all you have time for. How do you get to that point? Endless hours of practice, studying video, and the game itself. You have to get to the point where you drown out the noise in your head, and all you do with your mechanics is execute automatically. Remember the best hitters plan.
The only way to get there is practice. And not just any practice. Practice doesn’t make perfect, “Perfect practice makes perfect” in other words, you have to practice correctly, consistently and at game speed. You have to build your ‘muscle memory’ to a point where you just do it, automatically. No thought, no mind, no ego, just do it, the Zen of hitting. It’s like playing the piano, endless hours of scales, reading notes and progressions, and then all you do is play. Same in baseball, endless hours of practice, then you just have fun and play the game. You must stay within yourself, stay laser focused, and execute your plan. I often write about mental discipline, visualization, self-motivation, and the self-confidence needed to succeed in all you do, on and off the field. “Swing for the Stars” See you soon – Danny Garcia
About the Author: www.coachdannyg.com
Danny Garcia is a former Major League baseball player with the KC Royals. He enjoyed a 7 year minor league career as an outfielder, and has traveled the world as a player, scout, and Hitting coach. He often writes on the insights he learned as a professional athlete and the similarities those lessons taught him in having a successful personal or professional life.